BC Statistical Services ORCS · BC STATISTICAL SERVICES PRIMARY NUMBERS 47000 – 47599 This information schedule covers records relating to the provision of statistical expertise

BC STATISTICAL SERVICES

OPERATIONAL RECORDS CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM

GOVERNMENT RECORDS SERVICE

USEFUL INFORMATION

Key to Information Schedule Codes and Acronyms: Information Schedule titles: ARCS = Administrative Records Classification System ORCS = Operational Records Classification System Office information: OPR = Office of Primary Responsibility Records life cycle: A = Active SA = Semi-active FD = Final Disposition Active and semi-active period codes: CY = Calendar Year FY = Fiscal Year NA = Not Applicable SO = Superseded or Obsolete w = week m = month y = year Final disposition categories: DE = Destruction FR = Full Retention SR = Selective Retention OD = Other Disposition NA = Not Applicable Special flags: FOI = Freedom of Information/Protection of Privacy PIB = Personal Information Bank VR = Vital Records The following links provide additional resources for managing your information:

• ARCS and ORCS User Guide.

• Special schedules for records that are not covered by ARCS and ORCS.

• Legislation, policies, and standards for managing records in the BC Government.

• Tips, guides, and FAQs on related topics.

• Records Officer contact information.

http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/download/C3FA17CB9DCB461AB496A525FD0A4A02

http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content?id=3C8602EE967C4B70A804957E9E005292

http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content?id=25EE543B0B59402FA077FA3D4E482DC1

http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content?id=0F791EDE413242B6803DEBE301696A69

http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content?id=F347119CB63441028A7ABC77DC1478DD

OPERATIONAL RECORDS CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM This is an approved information schedule, as defined by the Information Management Act (SBC 2015, c. 27). For more information consult your Records Officer.

Key to ARCS/ORCS Codes and Acronyms

2017/05/03 Schedule 112108 STAT ORCS SECTION 1 - 1

S E C T I O N 1

B C S T A T I S T I C A L S E R V I C E S

P R I M A R Y N U M B E R S

4 7 0 0 0 – 4 7 5 9 9

This information schedule covers records relating to the provision of statistical expertise in British Columbia pursuant to the Statistics Act (RSBC 1996, c. 439). The Statistics Act enables the BC Statistics agency to conduct statistical activities relating to all facets of life in British Columbia; to collaborate with or provide assistance to ministries in their statistical activities; and to coordinate statistical activities between the government and statistical agencies of other governments. This includes records relating to: the collection, compilation, analysis, abstraction, projection, and distribution of statistical information respecting the commercial, industrial, financial, social, economic and general activities and conditions of British Columbia and its population; collaboration with or provision of assistance to ministries in the collection, compilation, analysis and distribution of statistical information, including statistics derived from the activities of those ministries; and the coordination of statistical activities between the government and statistical agencies of other governments. The Statistics Act also enables the agency to enter into agreements with Statistics Canada or with other government bodies, business or organisations regarding the exchange or transmission of statistical information. This includes records relating to: replies to specific statistical inquiries; replies to specific classes of information collected under the Act; and tabulation or analyses based on replies to the above.

http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/15027

http://www.gov.bc.ca/citz/iao/records_mgmt/rec_officers/

http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/DownloadAsset?assetId=E14916312681411CB764DB1F564838B9&filename=arcsorcscodes.pdf

http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/96439_01




SECTION 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS


47000 - 47599

47100 BC STATISTICAL SERVICES - GENERAL 47200 STATISTICAL ANALYSIS AND DISTRIBUTION 47300 SURVEYING, EVALUATION, AND PUBLIC SERVICE RESEARCH







47100 BC STATISTICAL SERVICES - GENERAL Records not shown elsewhere in this schedule, that relate generally to the provision of statistical expertise to British Columbians. This includes records relating to the BC Stats website, which provides a data repository of statistical information about British Columbian citizens, economy and government. Also included are records relating to the development of operational policies, including procedures, standards, guidelines, recommended practices and directives for use by internal staff and/or throughout government and/or external clients/service providers/citizens. For committees, see ARCS secondary 200-20. For the oath of secrecy, see ARCS secondary 350-04. For policy from external sources, see ARCS primary 195. For policy registration and tracking, see ARCS secondary 100-05. For program planning, see ARCS secondary 400-20. For reference material/topical files, see ARCS secondary 358-20. For a description of the systems related to the functions in this schedule, see

the System Section. The ministry OPR is BC Stats unless otherwise noted below. See specific secondaries for OPR retention schedules.

47100 BC STATISTICAL SERVICES - GENERAL A SA FD

All non-OPR offices will retain these records for: SO nil DE

-00 Policy - final (arrange in choronological order, and then by policy) (covers final/approved policies, procedures, standards, manuals, methodologies, and guidelines pertaining to the functions and activities documented in this ORCS developed for use by the program area and/or by clients/stakeholders/the public, such as the BC Stats Policies and Procedures document and its predecessors) SO: when the policy is replaced or becomes irrelevant FR: The government archives will fully retain final

versions of operational policy documentation because these provide significant evidence of the governance of the functions and programs covered by this schedule.

SO 5y FR

-01 General NOTE: Throughout this schedule, this secondary covers

miscellaneous records that relate to the primary, but do not document decisions and actions, and do not relate to topics that warrant specific classifications.

CY+1y nil DE




http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content?id=EDDEF4EAE2114A179B31F9AF9EA5880B

http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content?id=BE4EEE01BCDD46CEAAC4ED533B4E7C72

http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content?id=A917B39E670B48BB977BF7701C41D672

http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content?id=B6DB9F04B75848FCBC78CFCCDF8A5B7D

http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content?id=CE8CC595EA48484AB9A7934B8FF65153

http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content?id=D561A71AA6F24CBEAB00ACFCB5C45F0A




47100 BC STATISTICAL SERVICES - GENERAL A SA FD

-05 BC Stats website (covers pages and content on the provincial internet site for BC Stats, currently http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/Home.aspx) SO: when the web page is updated, redesigned, or closed NOTE: This secondary schedules the website and the

content on its pages. Source records (originals) for the website/pages such as reports, data, and publications must be classified under the appropriate secondaries in this ORCS. See the Statistical Systems Overview for databases supporting the website.

SO nil DE

-20 Policy development case files (includes briefing notes, correspondence, drafts and working materials) (arrange in choronological order, and then by policy) SO: when the policy is approved and distributed or

abandoned DE: Policy development files may be destroyed because

final policies are fully retained under secondary -00.

SO+5y nil DE

END OF PRIMARY




http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/Home.aspx/




47200 STATISTICAL ANALYSIS AND DISTRIBUTION Records relating to the accumulation, analysis, interpretation, compilation, and reporting of statistical information. Operating under the direction of the Statistics Act (RSBC 1996, c. 439), BC Stats produces and interprets statistical information pertaining to all facets of life in British Columbia, including the demographic, social and economic conditions of the province and its population; provides clients in the public and private sectors with timely and reliable statistical information and analytical services; and assists government ministries with their statistical activities (e.g. collecting, compiling, analysing and distributing statistical information). This primary includes records relating to the collection of data and analysis related to measures of business and economic activity (including Gross Domestic Product [GDP]) and for performing economic impact assessments; the development of indicators on labour and social conditions within B.C.; and the production of population and demographic estimates for B.C. communities which includes monitoring and reporting on demographic trends in B.C. Records types include: development files comprising spreadsheets, workspaces, databases, presentations, draft reports, and other records created in the analytical process; correspondence connected to project development or requests; and data, both raw and clean. Raw input data is gathered from a number of sources including Statistics Canada, ministry clients, private sector clients, and other government agencies. Although the subject matter of the analyses varies markedly, the records and objective are largely the same. For operational policy, see secondary 47100-00. For project tracking logs, see ARCS secondary 100-05. For reference material/topical files, see ARCS secondary 358-20. For system descriptions see the System Section. The ministry OPR is BC Stats unless otherwise noted below. See specific secondaries for OPR retention schedules.

47200 STATISTICAL ANALYSIS AND DISTRIBUTION A SA FD


-01 General CY+1y nil DE

-20 Queries related to the census (includes data spreadsheet or chart file and correspondence) (covers queries specifically related to the census produced by Statistics Canada) 6y: The retention period ensures that the information is

available for a full census cycle, which is every five years.

CY+5y nil DE

PIB -30 Requests for statistical data or analysis CY+2y nil DE











47200 STATISTICAL ANALYSIS AND DISTRIBUTION A SA FD (arrange by client name and date) (includes data spreadsheet or chart file and correspondence) (covers requests/queries from ministries and the general public)

-40 Statistical analysis data (covers data stored in all systems used to collect, analyse, compile, project, and distribute information by BC Stats, including but not limited to: the BC Input/Output Model, Trade Research Inquiry Package, High Tech Model, Workforce Planning Model, Statbase, Major Projects Inventory, CensusUndercount, and various estimation and projection systems) SO: when no longer required to support projects related

to the analysis in question NOTE: This secondary covers data stored in systems, as

well as in other formats. For example, older data may be stored on tape reels, in print, or in other media. When the data stored outside of the current systems is no longer required to support the survey to which it relates, it can be destroyed.

NOTE: See -50 to schedule data which is used only for

specific project development files.

SO nil DE

-50 Statistical analysis project development files (arrange by project) (includes draft reports, data spreadsheets, chart files, APL workspaces, presentations, shape files, maps, translation files, correspondence, and client contact information) (covers all statistical analysis projects done for government ministries, other provinces, or private clients, as well as special projects) SO: when project is complete; and, if applicable, when

time-frames outlined in the project's memorandum of understanding have elapsed; and the following criteria have been met: • For project development files resulting in a

comprehensive report or tabulation, when the final outputs have been delivered, plus ten years.

• For project development files relating to synopsis reports and small publications, when the report or publication has been delivered (e.g. via a mailing list and/or published on the website), plus five years.

SO nil DE








• For sampling and audit projects done for the Office of the Merit Commissioner, until BC Stats is no longer required to produce reports of this kind.

• For shape files, when no longer required to support geographic information systems (GIS) analysis;

• For all other project development files, when the file is no longer required to support the project in question.

NOTE: If the client expands a project, the file will be

reactivated. NOTE: For projects being kept for ten years after project

completion, as outlined in the first bullet of the SO criteria, the retention ensures that: • projects produced biennially are available for staff

to reference development files relating to the past five publications,

• projects conducted on a different schedule will have a reasonable amount of time in which to reference past development files in which the data and methodology would still be considered relevant, and

• special projects and other projects in which the methodology is embedded within the development records have sufficient time for staff to utilise methodologies from previous projects.

NOTE: For projects being kept for five years after project

completion, as outlined in the second bullet of the SO criteria, the retention period covers the need to reference past files in order to reuse datasets or templates. Examples of reports and publications being produced in this category are: Issues, and other reports posted on the Infoline blog of the BC Stats website; Highlights; and other small periodicals that do not contain unique information but simply recap datasets already available in a comprehensive analytical report.

NOTE: The retention for Merit Commissioner projects

reflects the fact that the methodology used in these projects is not recorded outside of the development files, and data is often reused many years later for new reports. In addition, the Office of the Merit Commissioner often asks BC Stats to create reports







47200 STATISTICAL ANALYSIS AND DISTRIBUTION A SA FD making comparisons over time.

NOTE: See -40 to schedule data that is not project-specific,

and may be used for multiple projects.

-60 Statistical analysis publications and final reports (includes all final output documents, such as reports, tabulations, inventories, maps, and other final outputs) (covers reports relating to all statistical compilation and analysis projects in BC Stats) SO: when final report is complete; and, if applicable,

when time-frames outlined in the project's memorandum of understanding have been exhausted; and when no longer required to support the program area or project for which it was created.

SR: The government archives will selectively retain

statistical analysis and distribution final reports. • Comprehensive analytical reports will be fully

retained as they provide statistics and information about the province over time in a number of subject areas. Examples of comprehensive analytical reports include, but are not limited to: small business profiles; high technology sector reports; population projections; and reports relating to the economy, tourism, health, and other facets of life in the province. When a corresponding methodology report is published with the analytical report, they will be fully retained together.

• The Major Projects Inventory will be fully retained as it provides a snapshot of current and planned development projects over a certain monetary value throughout the province.

• Maps generated through geographic information systems (GIS) analysis will be fully retained as they illustrate how boundaries within the province (e.g. health authorities, provincial electoral districts, school districts, etc.) change over time.

• Sampling and audit reports for the Office of the Merit Commissioner will be fully retained, as they assess and illustrate whether recruitment and selection practices in the BC Public Service have resulted in appointments based on merit, and whether individuals possess the required qualifications for the position to which they were

SO nil SR








appointed, often making comparisons over time to show improvements or weaknesses in this regard.

• Synopsis reports and small publications will be destroyed as they do not provide any new information or data. They are a by-product of comprehensive analytical reports, created as blog posts, mail-outs, newsletters, and other short articles.

• All other reports containing new aggregates of data in a comprehensive manner will be fully retained, and synopsis or abstract versions will be destroyed.

END OF PRIMARY







47300 SURVEYING, EVALUATION, AND PUBLIC SERVICE RESEARCH Records relating to research, surveying, and evaluation projects prepared for the BC Public Service (BCPS). BC Stats provides custom research services for BC government ministry, Crown corporation and agency clients on a cost-recovery basis. BC Stats delivers expertise in research services, survey design, survey administration and data analysis. Within the context of the BCPS, BC Stats conducts ongoing research on public sector employee characteristics including: engagement, workforce projections and employee equity. Research methodologies range from conducting BCPS-wide surveys to analyzing Human Resources and demography data. Examples include the Work Environment Survey (WES) and the Exit Survey, as well as custom-made surveys for individual ministries or work units. BC Stats also manages the BC Student Outcomes program on behalf of the BC Student Outcomes Research Forum (the Forum). The Forum represents the interests of the ministry responsible for post-secondary education and all of the participating post-secondary institutions. The student outcomes data are collected annually. At times, BC Stats will work with government ministries to survey the general public about a service or issue relating to the ministry's mandate. These surveys may involve contacting a random selection of the public, or they may target a specific demographic. Also covered by this primary are surveys conducted on a cost-recovery basis for clients outside the BCPS. In addition to Crown corporations and the broader public sector, clients may include other government bodies such as municipal or provincial governments outside of BC, and private organizations. Records types include: development files comprising questionnaire development, spreadsheets, databases, draft reports, and other records created in the survey analysis process; correspondence connected to project development or requests; and data, both raw and clean. Raw input data for surveys is either derived from the CHIPS frame system (a BC Stats managed system that extracts BCPS employee data for analytical purposes), acquired from the client, or purchased. Although the subject matter of the surveys varies, the records and objective are largely the same. For committee files, including records relating to BC Student Outcomes

Research Forum liaison and communication, see ARCS secondary 200-20.

For operational policy, see secondary 47100-00. For project tracking logs, including the All-project index, see ARCS secondary

100-05. For reference material/topical files, see ARCS secondary 358-20. For system descriptions see the System Section. The ministry OPR is BC Stats unless otherwise noted below. See specific secondaries for OPR retention schedules.












47300 SURVEYING, EVALUATION, AND PUBLIC SERVICE RESEARCH A SA FD


-01 General CY+1y nil DE

-10 Longitudinal files (arrange by survey type) (covers longitudinal files relating to ongoing surveys such as the Work Environment Survey and BC Student Outcomes) SO: when no longer required to support the survey it

relates to

SO nil DE

-30 Requests for survey data NOTE: If the data request becomes a project, re-classify the

records to secondary 47300-50 Survey development files.

NOTE: Data requests are usually directed at the BC Student

Outcomes program.

FY+2y nil DE

PIB -40 Survey data (covers data stored in all systems used to administer surveys conducted by BC Stats, including but not limited to the BC Student Outcomes system, the Survey Data Collection system, and the Leadership 360 database) SO: when no longer required to support the survey in

question; see the note below for examples. NOTE: Examples of when survey data is no longer required

to support a survey: • For the CHIPS frame system, the data in the

extract files is overwritten every two weeks with an updated version.

• For the Student Outcomes system, the cohort raw data can be deleted when loaded into the processing database. Data validation files and clean data will be kept as long as it is required to support the BC Student Outcomes program.

• For the Survey Data Collection system, the data in CallWeb can be deleted once all responses have been extracted. The clean data relating to the Work Environment Survey stored in master data files can be deleted once it has been added to the longitudinal file, which is classified under 47300-10. Final datasets relating to other public service employee surveys can be destroyed once it is determined that the data is no longer necessary to

SO nil DE







47300 SURVEYING, EVALUATION, AND PUBLIC SERVICE RESEARCH A SA FD regenerate reports for clients.

• For the Leadership 360 program, all data may be destroyed once the retention period for the set of related reports has been met. (See secondary 47300-60).

NOTE: This secondary covers data stored in systems, as

well as in other formats. For example, older data may be stored on tape reels, in print, or in other media. When the data stored outside of the current systems is no longer required to support the survey to which it relates, it can be destroyed.

NOTE: See -50 to schedule data which is used only for

specific survey development files

-50 Survey development (includes questionnaire templates and drafts, final questionnaire, notes, timing documents, cohort working documents, audit printouts, text files, SPSS files, Access database files, SQL scripts, Excel files [CSV and pivot tables], drafts and copies of reports, and correspondence) (arrange by survey type and year) (covers development files relating to all current and past surveys developed and administered by BC Stats, including but not limited to: the BC Student Outcomes Surveys; the Work Environment Survey; the BC Public Service Exit Survey; the Workforce Profile report; client surveys such as the FrontCounter BC Customer Satisfaction Survey; and ad hoc surveys done for clients both within and outside of the BC Public Service) SO: when the survey is complete and the following criteria

have been met: • For Student Outcomes development files, when

the final outputs have been delivered, plus five years;

• For public service employee research survey development files, when final outputs have been delivered; all time frames outlined in the project's memorandum of understanding have been exhausted, if applicable; and when no longer needed to support the surveys in question;

• For the Leadership 360 reports, once the retention period for the related reports has been met. (See secondary 47300-60);

• For ad hoc survey development files, when all

SO nil DE








deliverables have been met and the client is satisfied with the final outputs;

• For all other development files, when any other deliverables and time frames outlined in a Memorandum of Understanding or other project documentation have been met. In cases in which the only record of the methodology used is embedded within the development files, the files will be kept until the methodology has undergone a significant change and is therefore of no more use, or has been recorded in a separate document.

NOTE: All extant supporting records for Leadership 360

projects, including the tracking document used to maintain client system passwords, may be destroyed once the retention period for the related reports has been met under secondary 47300-60, which is when report has been delivered, plus six years.

NOTE: See -40 to schedule data that is not project-specific,

and may be used for multiple projects / ongoing surveys.

-60 Survey publications and final reports (includes final output documents from all surveys) (arrange by survey type and year) (covers reports relating to all current and past surveys developed and administered by BC Stats) SO: when publication / report is complete and the

following criteria have been met: • For Student Outcomes reports, when the data files

have been distributed to the post-secondary institutions and other authorized stakeholders, when the data updates loaded into the BC Student Outcomes Dashboard, and when no longer required to support the Student Outcomes program;

• For public service employee research reports, when the report has been delivered to the ministry client and posted on the BC Stats website for publication, if part of the agreement, and when no longer required to support the program for which it was conducted;

• For the Leadership 360 reports, when report has been delivered, plus six years;

SO nil SR








• For the Workforce Profile reports, once the report has been published, plus two years;

• For ad hoc reports, once the report has been delivered to the client and all publication requirements set out in a memorandum of understanding or other agreement have been met;

• For all other reports, once the report has been delivered to the client and all publication requirements set out in a memorandum of understanding or other agreement have been met.

SR: The government archives will selectively retain public

service research, surveying and evaluation reports. • Student Outcomes analytical reports will be fully

retained as they provide a comprehensive overview of post-secondary education and its application, successes, and weaknesses over time. Custom reports and reports broken down by individual institution will not be retained as they do not contain unique information.

• Workplace Environment Survey analytical reports will be fully retained as they provide evidence of BC Public Sector employee satisfaction levels and engagement, as well as workplace safety, health, and environment over time. They also provide evidence of the ways in which the government responded to employee criticisms, concerns and suggestions by making changes from year to year.

• Exit survey comprehensive summary of findings reports will be fully retained as they evaluate and summarize why public service employees resign. Over time, this provides insight into the health of the BC Public Service as a whole. Custom reports produced for individual ministries will not be retained as they are derived from the same data as the summary reports.

• Workforce Profile reports completed in conjunction with the Workforce Environment Survey cycle will be fully retained, as they provide evidence of the demographics of the British Columbia Public Service over time and according to ministry or agency. Workforce Profile reports done for broader public sector agencies, such as BC Hydro, will select one report per calendar year for retention and destroy all others. These reports will be retained for their evidence of the demographic








makeup of broader public sector agencies. • The Leadership 360 reports will not be retained as

they pertain only to individuals that have chosen to participate in the program and do not provide a comprehensive analysis of public sector employees in leadership roles. Additionally, participants in the program sign an agreement that acknowledges the participant's ownership of the final report, and explicitly states that the data and report will not be available through the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (RSBC 1996, c. 165).

• Ad hoc reports using data reflected in other comprehensive analytical reports will not be retained as they do not include any new data or analysis but simply compile the data in a new format for a particular client's needs. This includes ad hoc reports connected to the Student Outcomes Survey, the Workplace Environment Survey, and all other surveys resulting in comprehensive analytical reports.

• For all other survey reports, comprehensive analytical reports will be fully retained, and customized or ad hoc reports using the same data will be destroyed.

NOTE: The six year retention for the Leadership 360 reports

covers the time period in which the client (the Public Service Agency on behalf of the individual to whom the report relates) may need to request a new copy of the report; the two year retention for the Workforce Profile reports enables staff to reference the most recent report when developing the current version.

END OF PRIMARY









2017/05/03 Schedule 112108 STAT ORCS SYSTEMS - 1


OPERATIONAL RECORDS CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (ORCS)

SYSTEMS SECTION TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION AND TITLE PAGE NO.

COMMON SYSTEM NOTES 2

STATISTICAL SYSTEMS 3







SYSTEM SECTION: COMMON SYSTEM NOTES Retention Schedules for the Systems The data on the systems are classified under appropriate secondaries in the ORCS and in Administrative Records Classification System (ARCS), as indicated in the following descriptions. The systems themselves are all scheduled as follows:

Active SO: The system becomes superseded and obsolete when all data have been migrated to another system or documented elsewhere, or when all applicable retention schedules for the data have expired; see relevant classifications

Semi-Active nil: There is no semi-active retention period assigned to systems.

Final Disposition DE: Each system will be destroyed when all data has been migrated to a new system performing the same function, or when the function it supports is no longer performed by the provincial government, and when the approved retention schedules covering the information on it have elapsed, or the information has been preserved elsewhere. For more information, see DE appraisal notes under the secondaries that cover the data.







STATISTICAL SYSTEMS

SYSTEM OVERVIEW

Creating Agency Ministry of Technology, Innovation, and Citizen's Services Service BC BC Stats System Titles This overview covers all systems used to support the operational mandate of BC Stats. These systems differ in processes, information they hold, and outputs they produce, but functionally they serve the same purpose for BC Stats: to support the provision of statistical information for clients and the public. Currently, these are some of the systems in use:

• Biodiversity • Census Undercount • CHIPS Extract (Corporate Human Resource Information and Payroll System) • DBCONVERT (Database Conversion System) • EBS (Estimation Breakdown System) • Economic and Satellite Accounts • ENROL • ERAP (Employee Research and Analysis Program) (includes Work Environment Survey [WES]

Report Generator, WES Table Generator and WESBubble Chart Generator) • GES (Generalized Estimation System) • Health Access Standards Model • High Tech • Input/Output Model • Major Projects Inventory • MS Access databases • MS Sequel Server and other databases that support the website • PEOPLE (Population Extrapolation for Organizational Planning with Less Error) • Raking • Statbase • TRIP (Trade Research and Inquiry Package)

System Purpose BC Stats systems support the collection, compilation, analysis, abstraction, projection, and distribution of statistical information regarding the commercial, industrial, financial, social, economic and general activities and conditions of British Columbia and its population. System Information: Content, Inputs, Processes, and Outputs Systems used by BC Stats can be divided into two categories: those supporting surveys, and those which use pre-existing datasets derived from a number of sources for analytical reporting. For surveying systems, demographic frames (data relating to the population being surveyed) are provided by the client, derived from a government database, or purchased. Response data may be collected by telephone survey vendors, an online data collection system used to administer email-







based surveys, or focus group sessions facilitated by BC Stats. This data is collected in flat files and then entered into a program for analysis. Analysis of surveys may involve modelling or preparing taxonomies in order to conduct qualitative analysis. Raw input data used in analytical reporting or compilation is provided by Statistics Canada, the client, or other public sources. Raw data is then manipulated to meet the needs of the project in question. This may involve removing personal identifiers or unnecessary data fields, and adding supplementary data. These steps, and other types of analysis, compilation, and data cleaning use a variety of programs, software, and applications, including but not limited to: Access, Excel (spreadsheets, CSV files, and pivot tables), SPSS, AMOS, IBM-TAS, and other data mining, text analytics, and publishing programs. Analysis of data may use a variety of analysis tools to produce different types of outputs, ranging from statistical reports to projections. Outputs include, but are not limited to: comprehensive analytical reports, models, tabulations, projections, maps, newsletters, blog posts, and other small publications. Outputs may be distributed to a limited audience, such as the client only, or widely, in the case of those published to the website. In some cases multiple versions of outputs are created, some including personal information and others with all identifiers removed. Systems may automatically generate outputs, but many require reports to be developed by individuals. Data is often retained in systems long after its initial intended output is delivered. This is to ensure accessibility in case of ad hoc queries for which staff would need to consult past datasets, or for use in creating longitudinal studies of datasets.







STATISTICAL SYSTEMS

Classification of Records that Relate to the System Schedule Code

Secondary No. Secondary Title Retention Schedule A SA FD

Data in the System STAT 47200-40 Statistical analysis data SO nil DE STAT 47200-50 Statistical analysis project development files SO nil DE STAT 47300-40 Survey data SO nil DE STAT 47300-50 Survey development SO nil DE Inputs STAT 47200-50 Statistical analysis project development files SO nil DE STAT 47300-50 Survey development SO nil DE Outputs STAT 47200-60 Statistical analysis publications and final reports SO nil SR STAT 47300-60 Survey publications and final reports SO nil SR Other Related Records ARCS 6820-05 Back-up data SO nil DE ARCS Section 6

see appropriate secondaries

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

102902 Transitory Electronic Data Processing (EDP) Records

SO nil DE

Schedule Code Key: ARCS = Administrative Records Classification System , schedule 100001

STAT = Statistical Services ORCS, schedule 112108

END OF OVERVIEW





2017/05/03 Schedule 112108 STAT ORCS 1

APPENDIX A

BC STATS RETENTION SUMMARY

GENERAL RECORDS RELATING TO BC STATISTICAL SERVICES

Final versions of policies: keep until the policy is replaced or becomes irrelevant, send to storage (or keep on the LAN) for five years, and then transfer to the government archives.

47100-00

Policy development material: keep until it has been five years since the policy was approved, or abandoned, and then destroy.

47100-20

BC Stats website pages: as the pages are updated, redesigned or closed they will be destroyed.

47100-05

General records pertaining to a primary function throughout the ORCS: keep for 2 years then destroy.

47100-01 47200-01 47300-01

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS AND DISTRIBUTION Records relating to the accumulation, analysis, interpretation, compilation, and reporting of statistical information.

Queries related to the census: keep for 6 years and then destroy.

47200-20

Requests/queries from clients: keep for 3 years and then destroy.

47200-30

Statistical analysis data: keep until it’s no longer required to support projects, and then destroy.

47200-40

Statistical analysis project development files: keep until the closing criteria have been met (see ORCS document), and then destroy.

47200-50

Statistical analysis final reports and publications: keep until time-frames outlined in the project's memorandum of understanding are complete and no longer required for reference purposes, and then transfer substantive reports (see ORCS document SR: note) to the government archives, and destroy the remainders.

47200-60

SURVEYING, EVALUATION, AND PUBLIC SERVICE RESEARCH Records relating to research, surveying, and evaluation projects prepared for the BC Public Service.

Longitudinal files: keep as long as required by BC Stats, and then destroy. 47300-10




2017/05/03 Schedule 112108 STAT ORCS 2

Requests for survey data: keep for 3 fiscal years and then destroy.

47300-30

Survey data: keep until it’s no longer required to support survey projects, and then destroy.

47300-40

Survey development files: keep until the survey is complete, the closing criteria have been met (see ORCS document), and then destroy.

47300-50

Survey final reports and publications: keep until the closing criteria has been met (see ORCS document), then transfer substantive reports (see ORCS document SR: note) to the government archives and destroy the remainders.

47300-60



Documents

BC Statistical Services ORCS · BC STATISTICAL SERVICES PRIMARY NUMBERS 47000 – 47599 This information schedule covers records relating to the provision of statistical expertise